Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 September 2016
304. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if he has reviewed the school transport situation in east Cork where a number of children have been refused school transport; his plans to rectify the situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27303/16]
Amharc ar fhreagraSchool transport is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department.
During the 2015/16 school year in the region of 114,000 children, including some 10,000 children with special educational needs, were transported in approximately 4,000 vehicles on a daily basis to primary and post-primary schools annually throughout the country covering over 100 million kilometres.
Bus Éireann is responsible for the planning and timetabling of school transport routes. Bus Éireann endeavours, within available resources, to ensure that each eligible child has a reasonable level of school transport service in the context of the Scheme nationally.
The Programme for Government commits to review the concessionary charges and rules element of the School Transport Scheme prior to Budget 2017.
Pending this review, there was no planned programme of downsizing school buses in the current school year. There were route changes and variations in line with normal operational decisions that occur from year to year, and any impacts in terms of increases or decreases of available places nationally was marginal, in line with what occurs every year.
It is important to point out that there has been no impact on children who are eligible for school transport.
Bus Éireann has advised that there has been no downsizing of school transport vehicles in the East Cork area.
